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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · chip · bass · stock · plane · cabinet · mate · file

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bass — low music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. file — a tool
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — a partner
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — for betting
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com